Elyssa Kellerman, Wildlife Photography - Artist's Statement on "Wild Places"

Waking up in the early dawn to see a mist covered river and 1000 year old trees waving their branches as if to beckon the coming of a new day is a gift that wakes my soul and prepares me for the long day ahead. Adjusting my eyes and seeing a matriarchical group of forests elephants enter the river is like a dream. Preparing my hammock at 8:00pm after a cup shower and a meal of rice and beans is a gratifying end to a long day. Falling asleep to the sounds of the wild - an elephant trumpeting, a hyena laughing, or a pack of wolves howling - excite me for the next day.

As a wildlife photographer I have had the opportunity to have such experiences often. To be in a wild place that is untouched by humans, where animals are free to roam and behave as their ancestors have since the beginning of life, makes me feel like I have been transported in time to some strange and unknown world. At such times, the many bug bites I have all over my body, (sometimes forcing my eyes shut) or the knowledge that I have to trek 10 miles in heavy forest to the next location, hardly seem to matter.

However, the beauty and wonder that I speak of is, in reality, becoming a dream. Wild places are under constant threat and are disappearing as I write. The Wildlife Conservation Society's Global Conservation Program works to save wildlife and wild places by understanding critical issues, crafting science-based solutions, and taking conservation actions that benefit nature and humanity. WCS' Global Conservation Program focuses on the following challenges: natural resource extraction, the interaction of human livelihoods and habitat, sustainable development, emerging diseases, and climate change. Currently, WCS is working in more than 500 countries with a focus on preserving 60 of the most intact wild places of the natural world. WCS envisions a world in which people value and embrace the diversity of life, live sustainably with wildlife, and ensure the integrity of the natural world.

I am proud to work with WCS. Their achievements in protecting millions of acres of wild habitat across the planet to ensure that future generations will be moved by the beauty of nature is nothing short of inspiring.